F1 dealt 'on the limit' warning over 2026 regulations
Today at 01:05 PM
Andretti Formula E team principal Roger Griffiths has warned F1 that a crucial element of its 2026 regulations will be "on the limit" of its legal development. F1 will see new power unit regulations introduced next year, featuring a unique 50-50 combination of electrical energy and internal combustion. Talks have recently taken place between teams and the FIA to discuss whether to scrap the new rules and instead re-introduce V10 engines with sustainable fuels. However, for now, the new regulations for next season are set in stone, although a return to V10s has not been completely ruled out for the future from 2029. Now, a suggestion has been made that the electrical power in the new PUs could be reduced, due to concerns of the battery running out before the end of a race. There is one significant flaw with F1's new power unit regulations, however, in that the electrical element cannot be increased to 100% in future regulations compared to the internal combustion output. Formula E is the only FIA series which can run a solely electric powertrain, meaning the new F1 regulations will already be on the edge of how far it can go with electrification. Griffiths, a former technical director of Honda Performance Development, has raised the key point. "I spent a few years in Formula 1, and certainly remember standing on the pit wall with my ears ringing in pain from the V10s as they came past," Griffiths told select media including RacingNews365 . "I think we all move on, and the V10 is very much an emotional experience. Maybe not that well known to this room, but there is a limit to how far Formula 1 can go with electrification. "We're [Formula E] the only single-seater championship in the world that can be 100 per cent electric. So that's something we stay true to. It sits at the core of our DNA. "The technology that we see today in the Formula E cars rivals anything out there that's also racing. "So we're very happy with where we are. I think, being independent of what Formula 1 does is great for us. We'll stay true to our path and let them decide what they want to do."
